Process of forming cakes of soap



M. L. CROUCH.

PROCESS 0F FORMING CAKES 0F SOAP.

2 S'HEElS-SHFET l.

Miren/0f IHM. IIIIIIII Il! Patented Dec. 2, 192i.

AP'LICATION FILED JAN20, 192i.

M. LA CROUCH.

PROCESS 0F FOHMING CAKES 0F SOAP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-20,1921- ]29 Patented Dem@ 19m MKM @Witness UNHTED STATES PATENT orme/E;

-MARION L. CJR/OUCH, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 THE PRCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OIE' OI-IIO.

PROCESS OF FORMING CAKES OF SOAP.

Leonesa application med January 2o, 1921.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARION L. CnoUoH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, inthe county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have Vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesy of Forming Cakes of Soap; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description-of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a process of forming cakes of soap of ordinary size for domestic or hand use, the objects of the invention being primarily to provide a process wherewith the hot semi-liquid soap in the condition in which it ordinarily comes from the erutcher can be formed into cakes of final usable dimensions in an exceedingly short period of time and at a comparatively small cost. The invention contemplates the formation of the cakes of soap directly from the hot semi-liquid batch in such wise that the necessity of providing the usual large frames and the incidental storage of the frames and large blocks of soap is entirely eliminated together with the time ordinarily consumed in the curing or hardening process as heretofore practised. In accordance with practice in vogue for many years, the Soap' from the crutcher is run into large frames and the latter are removed to some suitable locality where the large blocks of soap are allowed to congeal or freeze, whereupon, the surrounding walls of the frame are removed and after a duc period, sometimes running into weeks` the blocks of soap are transported to a cutting machine and severed into slabs, bars and cakes which are then pressed and wrapped or boxed for the market. l

ln accordance with the present invention, and as a general statement, disregarding details of the process which will be hereinafter described, the hot semi-liquid batch is subdivided into portions of proper size to each form an ultimate cake of soap, and these portions are so treated to temperature conditions that each portion will have a sufficient number of heat units quickly extracted therefrom to form a shell which is of a tem-y perature and hardness suiicient to allow of the cake portion being handled without breaking or changing its shape even though Speccation of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 438,677.

the interior is still hot and semi-liquid, and preferably the heat units extracted are ap proximtaely sufficient to cause the entire mass or body to congeal or freeze and be properly tempered when, by conduction of heat from within its body, the whole assumes an approximately normal temperature. ln the highest development of the process which, however, is, of course, subject to modification or variation, in a more or less eiiicient process within the spirit of the invention, each portion of the semi-liquid soap is subjected to a surrounding temperature condition which may be generally described as one in which the temperature of the portions is reduced to a point where a greater number of heat units are abstracted than would be required for the congelation or freezing of the outer part of the body. and by a. process of heat transference the later divided portions are reduced in temperature by transference of heat to the exterior of earlier divided portions, and at the stage of the process where this heat transference is being effected, the earlier divided portions or cakes will exist in a condition where the interior body stlll remains 1n a heated semilatented Dec.. 20, 1921 liquid condition entirely Surrounded or inclosed by a layer of low temperature com-l pletely congealed or frozen soap, and this, in turn, is surrounded by a surface to which heat units have been added by transference, but which more nearly approaches normal temperature than does the immediately ad-' jacent inner layer. Thereafter` the heat from the interior semi-liquid or hot uncongealed portion is transferred by conduction to the surrounding or inclosing layer to tem per the latter and assist in carrying ofi any undesirable percentage of moisture, and the final result in an ideal process is a completely congealed and tempered cake at substantially normal temperature. The characteristics of the different portions of the cake differ somewhat in that the exterior layer has a texture which is characteristically produced by very rapid congelation, while the interior body has a texture which is characteristically produced by slow congelation, the latter, in this respect, corresponding in its texture to the texture of soap which is produced by the ordinary process now in vogue.

parts broken away,

to illustrate details of construction; Figs. 2 and 2a a top plan view.

, An apparatus for carrying out the process in an economical and eilicient manner is` rll`he reference letter A indicates a container for the batch of hot semi-liquid soap, this container being preferably in the form of a crutcher having a discharge opening in the bottom, with means (not illustrated) for controlling the discharge of the semi-liquid soap therefrom. rJlraveling beneath this opening is a long endless apron formed by a series of separate open-topped molds ld best shown in Fig. 2. rlhe apron of molds travels along guideways on guide rollers C and around top and bottom drums D and E at the near end and around a large guide drum F at the further end. Each mold cavity is of approximately proper size to contain independently of every other cavity a proper size portion of the semi-liquid soap to form an ultimate caire, and each mold is preferably provided with a movable bottom which is adapted to be raised or lowered, as occasion may require, for example, to elevate the surface of the semi-liquid soap so as to allow for shrinkage and to insure the discharge of the cakes of soap at the proper point, which details of construction, however, are not claimed herein, inasmuch as they relate to the apparatus claimed in other patents or subsequent applications.

rllhe apron of molds travels throughout the major portion of its length in a casing G preferably divided into sections by an intermediate partition or partitions G, such partitions having openings therethrough, through which the upper and lower reaches of the apron may pass without interference.

ln the first compartment or the compartment nearest the crutcher, a baffle plate orV shield H extends over the apron of molds, and in close proximity thereto, the clearance between the semi-liquid soap contained in the molds and the plate or baffle being only sufiicient to prevent the soap from contacting therewith and, conveniently, this plate orbaiie is slightly inclined for a purpose which will presently appear.-

rlhe compartments through which the apron of molds travels contain means whereby the temperature thereof may be reduced progressively, and in the preferredprocess a liquid cooling medium is employed. rl`his cooling medium is conveniently artificially cooled brine and for the purpose of distributing it into the compartments .it is adapted to be sprayed through spray pipes I, I', 12,)I3, the spray pipes l, l beingadapted to spray the cold brine against the underv ysoap held thereby at a point sufficiently re.

ino-ieee surfaces, sides and ends of the individual` molds, the spray pipes liz to spray the cold brine over the upper sides of the molds and soap contained therein, and the pipes i3 to spray the brine over the surface of the 7c baffle plate' or shield H, the liquid from the i latter being adapted to travel along the plate or shield and to flow gently onto the upper surface of the apron of molds and moved from the crutcher, Vfor the surface of the soap to have assumed a suhciently hardened condition by convection to prevent any distortion or deformation when the cooling medium contacts directly therewith. For the reasons stated, the length of the battle plate or shield may be varied, depending upon the temperatures of operation, but, in the preferred process, the temperature of the cooling medium above the plate or shield is sui'iciently low to insure the desired results at or before the molds reach the end of the first compartment in the casing.

rFhe reach of the apron of molds between the guide drums E and D is preferably inclined and thesoap is adapted to be discharged from said molds while passing up this incline and when so discharged the cakes of soap are received upon an endless carrier K which conveys them into/a temperature evening chamber L through which they pass back and forth around and over guide rollers lL at opposite ends and are subjected to moderate blasts of air at normal temperature created by fans M, or other suitable means., Said cakes of soap are finally discharged onto a conveyer N and by the latter are conveyed to a press or other convenient handling appliance indicated at 0.

Immediately u on vbeing discharged from N5 the apron or mo ds the cakes of soap are subjected to a fresh water washing which may be effected over a tank l? by means of a spray of fresh water from the pipe P', and immediately after being washed with fresh 110 water they are subjected to a heavy blast of air from a pipe Q located over a trough Q whereby free drops of water and surface water is blown 0E so as to reduce materially the time required in the final drying and 115 temperature eveningchamber. 4

With the apparatus thus described the process is as follows: The semi-liquid soap from the crutcher is sub-divided into cake size portions in the molds and the latter 120 travel forwardly into the reduced temperature chamber. ln the first chamber the portions are subjected to a temperature whichproximately 18 F. By the time the suc- 130 cessively formed portions of semi-liquid soap have reached the end of the baffle plate a more or less hardened surface layer has been formed thereon of sufficient rigidity to permit of direct contact of the cooling medium therewith, and the cooling medium is therefore allowed to flow from the end of the baffle late or shield directly onto the upper surface of the mold. As the molds move into the compartments of lower temperatures they are sprayed top and bottom, sides and ends with cooling medium of a temperature which may conveniently be approximately 18 F., and this temperature is maintained while the molds of soap are traveling through this compartment and back into the first mentioned compartment.

As a convenient arrangement and one which is well calculated to conserve the energy required to produce the low tempera ture conditions and at the same time produce desirable results, as will be hereinafter pointed out, the temperatures of the brine sprayed through the pipes I in the first compartment may be kept down by heat transference to the molds and cakes of soap traveling reversely through the bottom of the compartment toward the discharge point. v For this purpose the brine sprayed through the pipes lt rains down upon the molds and soap in the bottom of the compartment and may be withdrawn therefrom by a pumpy diagrammatically indicated at R and again discharged through the pipes.

Under some conditions and with some advantage in the process, the entire bottom reach of the apron of moldsl may be caused to travel in a tank indicated at S and at a level in said tank at which the molds will be submerged, the brine for the pipes I and the brine to be returned to the artificial refrigerating apparatus and again sprayed through the pipes l l2, ls, being withdrawn from the tank in proximity-t0 the intermediate partition through an opening in which the apron of molds travels. rllhis arrangement prevents any extensive flow of brine from one portion of the tank to the other and at the same time permits of sufficient iow to .maintain the water level substantially uniform.

Under the conditions stated, the heavy brine isA of greater specific gravity than the soap and consequently there is no tendency ofthe soap to loosen from and fall out ofl the molds, but, on the contrary, the hydrostatic pressure tends to hold the soap in the molds, thus, not only-is the heat dissipated properly, but should the machine for any reason operate under conditions where it stops, or the soap contract and loosen in the molds, there is no danger 'of either the soap dropping out or of requiring the employment of retaining surfaces with respect to which the soap must move, and whereby .freeze thereto and defective results could not be prevented.

ln the preferred and ideal operation of the process a 'sufficient' number of heat units are attempted to be withdrawn from the cake size portions of soap to practically insure the congelation of the entire body throughout and without the necessity of dissipation of heat into the surrounding atmosphere after the soap leaves the reduced temperature conditions, other than such as may be found desirable to aid in the evaporation of sufficient moisture during the tempering stage to insure the production of a ,Y cake having the proper moisture content and free from uneven strains. ln order to prevent the absorption of heat from the surrounding atmosphere and to conserve the energy required to produce the low temperature conditions the heat transference from the later divided portions to the earlier dileave the machine results in the formation of a skin surface which is of higher temperature than the congealed layer immediately beneath the surface, and as soap is a relatively poor conductor of heat, the absorption of heat from the atmosphere or from the wash water and air blast does not materially affect the ultimate results to be attained. Experience shows that at the time when the soap cakes are discharged from the apron of molds the interior body is of practically the consistency of the soap in the crutcher and the period of time in passing through the temperature reducing chambers may be so short that the temperature of this mterior body of each cake is still very high. F or example, tests have shown that when the crutcher heat is 180 the temperature of the'interior body of each cake may be as high as 150, and, therefore, in traveling through the evening chamber, it is only necessary to allow a sufficient time to permit of this internal heat beingtransferred by conduction to the outer cold layer "to form cakes which are of uniform temfill.

complete congelation, the surplus heat units being utilized to aid in the evaporation of moisture during final congelation and tempering of the cakes. llhe reserve or internal heat thus serves to gradually even the. temperature throughout the cake so as to remove all uneven internal strains, assists in CAD the removal of surplus moisture and results in the production of a tough cake vvhich may be properly pressed and which will not thereafter' Warp; all Without requiring reheating or additional expense or loss.

ln the practice of the process the heat transference from the molds immediately after being illed to the molds at and near the point Where the cakes are discharged therefrom raises the temperature of the latter molds to a point Where the hot soap may be deposited therein to the greatest advantage and with a decided conservation of energy. ln other words, the molds are brought to a temperature at which the hot soap may be deposited therein Without Wrinlrling on the surface next the mold Walls and Without danger of initial freezing such as would interfere with proper lling of the molds9 and the heat absorbed in accomplishing this end is all abstracted from the soa which `has just .been deposited in the moles at the ,from a hot semi-liquid batch, Which consists in subdividing the same into calze size portions, then quickly congealing or freezing the entire exterior layer of each portion by subjecting the same to a greatly reduced temperature but Without bongealing l or freezing the-interior, and then removing the portions or cakes from such lovv temperature conditions and maintaining surrounding temperature conditions such as to prevent melting of the exterior layer.

The process of forming' cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in successively withdrawing cake size portions from said batch, supporting said portions out of contact with any relatively movable surface and simultaneously subjecting them on all sides to a reduced temperature to quickly form thereon an unbroken congealed or frozen exterior layer to retain the 4recinto semi-liquid interior in proper shape, 'then removing said portions from the low temperature condition and exposing the saine to normal temperature conditions until the interior congeals by heat transference to the exterior layer.

4e. rl`he process of forming cakes of soa p from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in subdividing the same into caire site portions, exposing said portions to lovv temperature conditions without contact `with any relativelyv4 movable surface until a congealed or frozen surface is formed, then subjecting said portions to contact with a heat abstracting medium maintained at a low 'temperature, then removing said portions from the low temperature conditions and holding the same under normal temperature conditions until of a substantially uniform temperature and solidity throughout, and finally giif'ing ultimate form thereto by pressure.

5. rll`he process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid hatch, which consists in subdividing the batch into separate cake size portions and in quickly subjecting said portions to surrounding temperature conditions of successively lower temperatures, whereby the rate of exterior congelation is progressively augmented.

6. lhe process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in subdividing the batch into separate cake size portions and in subjecting said portions first to surrounding conditions of progressively lower temperature and then to surrounding conditions of progressively higher temperature, whereby congelation is augmented and energy to produce lovv temperature conditions is conserved.

7. rlhe process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in subdividing the batch into cake size portions, initially hardening the surface of each portion to Vprevent surface deformation and then subjecting each portion to the direct action of a cooling agent maintained at a low temperature. l

iio

8. rlhe process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, Which consists in subdividing the batch into cake size portions, initially hardening the surface of each portion to prevent surface deformation, and then subjecting each portion to ythe direct action of a liquid cooling agent maintained at a low temperature.

9. The process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in subdividing the batch into cake size portions, initially hardening the surface of each portion to prevent surface deformation, then flowing a liquid cooling agent over the-same, and finally subjecting the same to the action of sprays of cooling agent maintained at a low temperature.

l0. The process of forming cakes ofi: soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in successively withdrawing cake size portions therefrom, subjecting each portion to low temperature conditions, and thereby effecting congelation or freezing, and in transferring heat from later withdrawn portions to such earlier congealed or frozen portions, whereby the average temperature of one is lowered and the other raised, and energy of operation is conserved.

1l. The process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in subdividing the batch into cake size portions, then quickly congealing or freezing the entire exterior layer of each portion by subjecting the same to a greatly reduced temperature, then transferring heat from later subdivided portions to the exterior surfaces of such congealed or frozen layers of the cakes, and finally subjecting the cakes to ordinary temperature conditions whereby energy required to produce low temperature conditions is conserved. y

12. The process of forming cakes of soap from a hot semi-liquid batch, which consists in subdividing the same into cake size portions, then freezing the exterior layer on all sides of each portion, then transferring heat from the exterior layer of later divided portions to the surface of the frozen layers of such earlier divided portions, whereby energy in creating freezing conditions is conserved, the internal heat of each portion is dissipated in the cooler surrounding layer and completely congealed cakes at substantially prevailing temperature produced.

13. The process of forming cakes of soap directly from the hot semi-liquid batch which consists in subdividing the same into relatively small portions by depositing it in separate relatively small molds, then quickly congealing or freezing the entire surface layer to a sufficient depth to form a completely closed container or shell for the interior semi-liquid, by subjecting each portion throughout its entire superficial area and for a relatively short period of time to a lower temperature than that at which it would congeal or freeze normally, then subjecting the Same to a higher temperature and permitting the temperature of the semiliquid interior and of the congealed or frozen exterior to equalize without being materially influenced through external temperature conditions, by removing the portions separately from the molds and retaining them in substantially normal temperature surroundings until the interior congeals or freezes and the exterior softens sufliciently to permit of contraction without forming voids or harmful distortion of the cakes.

MARION L. CROUCH. 

